of a group of steel grades and steel products.

They contain information about

• the standard order designation,
• relevant nominal dimensions, tolerances on dimensions and shape tolerances (generally through reference to appropriate dimensional standards),
• the scope of inspection and testing, sampling, test piece preparation, and the applicable inspection and test methods (generally through reference to appropriate test standards) for verification of specified properties,
• the marking of the products.

Technical delivery conditions can, in individual cases, be confined to definitions regarding the surface condition of particular product forms.

They serve to promote understanding and communication between steel producers and users (including processors, fabricators and distributive trades) and thereby facilitate trading in products of the iron and steel industry.

Material standards
are not directly practical for trading in steel products and are therefore drawn up only in individually instances. They are practical if an extensive group of steels is contained in many standards in different product forms and for different applications.
This applies, for example, to stainless steels with their sub-groups

• corrosion-resistant,
• heat-resistant,
• creep-resistant.

"Material standards" can contain information as an aid to the user concerning e.g

• chemical composition (taken from the technical delivery conditions),
• physical properties,
• general description of the steel group (microstructure, influence of importantalloy elements).

Dimensional standards
serve to promote understanding and communication between steel producers and users (including processors, fabricators and distributive trades) and thereby facilitate trading in products of the iron and steel industry. They contain specificationsregarding e.g.

• nominal dimensions (or dimension ranges),
• tolerances on dimensions,
• shape tolerances,
• mass,
• statical values (where relevant),
• form supplied,
• ordering information,
• verification of the dimensional accuracy
  of steel products.

Specifications of tolerances on dimensions and shape tolerances are also contained in technical delivery conditions in some cases.

Test standards
drawn up by Normenausschuss Eisen und Stahl (FES: Iron and Steel Standards Committee) are product- and/or steel-specific. They are not meant as basic documents for particular test methods, such as tensile or ultrasonic testing, for example.

Product-specific test standards concern

• the non-destructive testing of flat products,
• the non-destructive testing of tubes,
• the non-destructive testing of forgings,
• the non-destructive testing of bars,
• the non-destructive testing of steel castings,
• the testing of wire.

Product-/steel-specific test standards concern

• the non-destructive testing of flat products, tubes and forgings in austenitic and austenitic-ferritic steels,
• welded fabric for concrete reinforcement.

Steel-specific test standards concern

• concrete reinforcing steel,
• prestressing steel.

Terminological standards
serve to promote understanding and communication between steel producers and users and define certain criteria which are also relevant in part for customs and statistical information purposes.

These include standards

- for the classification of the steel grades into

• unalloyed steels,
• stainless steels,
• other alloyed steels,
• quality steels,
• special steels,

- for the classification of steel products according to

• their form and dimensions,
• their appearance and surface condition,

- for the designation of the steels (names, material numbers, additional symbols),
- for the content of inspection documents.